The invention is directed to a manually actuated, self-collecting parking meter including a lockable coin insert device and a coin checking device for handling coins of a range of diameters with the device being actuated by a rotary locking handle. Based on the coin diameter determined by the coin checking device, after the rotary handle has been actuated, a parking time period display mechanism is set. A broad range of manually actuated, self-collecting parking meters are known, which, as a rule, accept up to three different coins. The use of three different coins can be noted on the exterior of the device by the provision of a separate insertion slot for each coin size, such as in the manually actuated parking meters disclosed in the German Offenlegungsschrift No. 18 15 601 or the German Auslegeschrift No. 1 474 749.
The parking meter disclosed in the German Offenlegungsschrift No. 18 15 601 is a manually operated mechanism arranged to accept a maximum of three different sized coins. If, in this known device, the coin units and the time intervals are changed, there is the problem that a whole series of parts and structural members are provided in the form of interchangeable assembly units for the particular coin sizes. Accordingly, in such a known parking meter, it is necessary to provide interchangeable elements for the different coin insertion slots, the coin cams, the coin drive mechanisms, the time setting mechanism, the clock drive mechanism, and the scale graduations so that any combination of coins and time setting selections can be used. If it is considered how many different sized coins and value denominations exist in the worldwide utilization of parking meters and further, if one takes into account the innumerable combination possibilities of the various coins with the associated selection of a parking time period, it is not feasible to maintain in stock interchangeable sets of elements covering all of the possible combinations. Moreover, such a meter would not be economically feasible because of the great number of different parts needed. Furthermore, the use of a parking meter adapted to accept only three different sizes of coins represents a considerable limitation, since the meter cannot be used in boundary regions between different countries where coins of different currencies are used.
Apart from the disadvantages inherent in the changeover of other coin combinations or time calculation factors, a meter arranged to receive three different coin sizes, does not result in an operation completely free of problems. It is necessary to observe certain operating instructions for the parking meter so that the loss of a coin does not take place in the event a coin of the wrong size is inserted into a slot. Many currency systems have been devised so that the higher value coins are formed of previous metals and are of a smaller size than coins of a smaller denomination which are made of ordinary metals. A small but valuable coin can, in most instances, be inserted into a larger slot, however, because of the coin-sorting arrangement within the meter, the coin does not provide a corresponding parking time period, and the return of the coin is, in most cases, not provided.
Another manually actuated parking meter arranged to receive coins of different diameters has been disclosed in the German Auslegeschrift No. 1 474 749. This meter accepts three different sizes of coins each through a different insertion slot. The diameter sorting action takes place by the combined action of several latches including recesses of different depths in relation to the different diameters with corresponding projections on the opposite side of the coin insertion slot. By the movement of the coin in the path of the projections, the latches are correspondingly deflected and engage along the length of the projection with a setting wheel. To change over the coin mechanism to different coin diameters, a replacement of the latches with the recesses is required. In a changeover, inlet elements and the length of the projections must also be replaced by interchangeable parts. The problem of the loss of a coin without gaining any allotted parking time, due to the erroneous insertion of the coin into the slot is not provided for and, as a result, is not solved by this meter.
Generally, in known devices with several coin inlet openings, the person using the parking meter is always responsible for any mistake in operating the device and only after such a loss is the user alerted to observing the frequently sparse operating instructions.
Another manually operated parking meter is set forth in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 23 23 567. In this device only one coin insertion opening is afforded with the various coins inserted being fed into a diameter-sorting part. The diameter-sorting part includes a push lever on which the inserted coin rests, and a coin lever comprising test and adjustment elements for checking a maximum of three coins of different diameters. the push lever includes a certain number of control parts to assure, as much as possible, an accurate test of the inserted coin. While the coin is being checked, the manually actuated push lever moves against the coin lever displaceable in the opposite sense through spring tension. The relative position of the push lever with the coin lever occurring during the checking of a coin, is used to determine an allotted parking time. The transfer into the allotted time mechanism takes place by way of three test levers and latches controlled by the levers, into a time period setting mechanism while the coin is manually directed into a collection box. The adjustment of a usable coin at the driver or follower elements and, further, at the engagement between the test lever and the latch is exceedingly difficult and specific coin tolerances can only be observed with difficulty, if at all. This known coin mechanism can be adjusted only in one rotational direction. Upon insertion of a coin, cumbersome return locking means are activated which prevent movement of the rotary handle into its initial position, until it has been rotated into the end stop position. Such a meter construction encourages illegal operation where the user fulfills his obligation by inserting a coin, but fails to adjust the parking time mechanism to the commencement of a parking period.